New World, Dressrosa.
The morning sun greeted the horizon, casting a warm golden light across Dressrosa. A gentle breeze passed through the balcony, moving the curtains and carrying the sweet scent of flowers, making anyone who smelled it feel peaceful.
Outside the window, the sweet chirping of birds woke Perona from her deep sleep.
"Hah…!"
Perona yawned, rose from the sofa, and rubbed her sleepy eyes. When her consciousness returned, she saw Kuina, Iska, and Uta still sleeping soundly. She vaguely remembered they all fell asleep when Uta was singing a song.
She glanced out the window, then at the wall clock. It was seven in the morning. A whole night had passed, and Sephiroth still hadn't returned. Her heart was filled with worry, but she knew all she could do was wait.
Perona walked to the table in the living room where the Transponder Snail was placed. Her slender index finger dialed Sephiroth's number.
Bulu! Bulu! Bulu!
The call didn't go through, but the sound was loud enough to wake up the three other girls.
"Perona, what are you doing?" Iska asked, her voice hoarse.
"I'm trying to contact Sephiroth."
Instantly, the atmosphere in the room fell silent. The worries that had been buried now resurfaced.
Iska tried to lighten the mood with an awkward laugh. She rubbed her stomach. "I'm so hungry! Let's have breakfast first!"
"Right! I'm hungry too!" Kuina chimed in.
Uta, as if getting an idea, suggested, "It's rare for us to be here. This is Dressrosa, right? The land of love and passion! There must be so many fun places! It would be a shame not to have some fun!"
After having breakfast at the hotel, the four girls walked out, discussing which places they would visit. With a silent understanding, none of them mentioned Sephiroth's name again.
They then arrived at the Sunflower Field.
Dressrosa Sunflower Field.
The sunlight shone on the golden sea of sunflowers. The flower petals swayed in the wind, exuding an aura of vibrant life.
Under the shade of a tree, Scarlett, in a light green long dress, sat on a pink picnic blanket. In front of her lay a lunch box, a tea set, and some cakes.
Rustle!
A rustling sound emerged from behind the sunflowers. Then, a Devil Fruit with a gray-brown spiral pattern approached Scarlett.
Wait, that was no ordinary Devil Fruit. Under the fruit, a palm-sized man, King Gancho of the Tontatta Tribe, was visible.
"Hosh… Hosh! I'm really getting old! Just a short walk and I'm out of breath," Gancho mumbled, placing the Devil Fruit on the picnic blanket.
"Princess Scarlett, is this the Devil Fruit you were talking about?" he asked.
Scarlett examined the fruit carefully. She had read the Devil Fruit Illustrated Book and immediately recognized the fruit.
"Yes, this is the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Unicorn, a Mythical Zoan type. But its power only allows the user to fly," she explained honestly.
"I see! In that case, this Devil Fruit is a gift from the Tontatta Tribe to you!" Gancho laughed.
"But… what reward do you want?" Scarlett asked.
Gancho shook his head. "Haha! No need! Princess Scarlett has always been kind to us. This is a token of our gratitude!"
Scarlett finally accepted the fruit after insisting on giving Gancho a reward. She promised herself that she would repay the Tontatta tribe's kindness one day.
The reason she had the Tontatta Tribe collect Devil Fruits was actually at Sephiroth's instruction. She remembered Sephiroth saying that the small tribe had a unique ability to find Devil Fruits.
Gancho then said goodbye, leaving Scarlett to enjoy the beauty of the sunflower field. Not long after, Perona and her friends arrived.
Perona, who was hovering over the sunflowers, saw Scarlett. "Oh? Someone's already here?"
"Good afternoon, everyone. Please come over and have some tea with me," Scarlett greeted them warmly.
Kuina nodded. "Thank you so much! We happen to be tired."
Iska saw a cup next to Scarlett. "Did you come alone? Where is your partner?"
Scarlett smiled, "He went back first."
As they were busy chatting, a panicked voice suddenly came from a distance.
"Sister! Sister! This is big news! Bad news!"
Violet, Scarlett's younger sister, ran toward them with a newspaper in her hand.
"What's wrong, my sister? Why are you so panicked?" Scarlett asked, gently wiping the sweat from her sister's forehead.
"Se… Sephiroth… he…!"
"What's wrong with him!?" the five girls shouted in unison, pressuring Violet to continue.
They were all shocked. Scarlett and Violet looked at each other, a strange thought crossing their minds.
"You… you know Sephiroth too?" Scarlett asked.
"…"
"What is your relationship with him?" she continued.
Kuina: "A teacher-student relationship. He taught me to sword fight."
Perona: "A partner relationship."
Iska: "Me too."
Uta: "He adopted me."
Hearing the confessions of Perona and Iska, Scarlett and Violet's hearts shattered.
Perona, who noticed the change in their expressions, leaned her head forward. "Don't tell me… you're also part of Sephiroth's harem?" she asked innocently.
"Part of the harem…" Scarlett mumbled. A bitter smile bloomed on her face.
"Yes… Actually… I don't know how many women he has. Could you tell me?"
The sun shone brightly, as if it didn't care about the darkness that had just descended into the hearts of the five women.